Window servicing platform



Aug. 26, 1958 T. M. WOYTON WINDOW SERVICING PLATFORM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 28. 1957 INVENTOR TMWayZ'on ORNE'Y United States PatentWINDOW SERVICE G PLATFORM Thomas M. Woyton, Elmont, N. Y. ApplicationJune 28, 1957, Serial No. 668,723 1 Claim; (Cl. 304-27) This inventionrelates to a novel platform andsupporting cage structure which may bereadily applied to and" suspended from the outer side of a window forconveniently and safely supporting a workman engaged in various windowservicing operations, such as painting, calking, replacing glass ormaking general repairs, all ofwhich operations can be accomplishedwithout risk through use of the servicing platform.

More'particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide aplatform structure which may be readily positioned on the outer side ofa window, from the inner side thereof without risk of the platformstructure' being dropped out of the window while being"ap-' pliedthereto, and which includes readily adjustable parts for adapting theplatform to window frames and sillscf different thicknesses anddifferent overhangs, so that the platform can be securely mounted andbraced' to be disposed rigidly relative to the window.

A further object of the invention is'to provide awindow suspendedsupporting structure having a novel" safety feature to prevent releaseof the suspended supporting structure from the window should a breakage.

occur in the device.

Various other objects and advantages of'the invention will'hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from'the following descriptionof thedrawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, showing awindow servicing'platform" in'an applied position; 4

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the platform structure, partly insection, taken substantially alonga plane as indicated by the line 2-2of Figure 1;

Figure 3'is an enlarged fragmentary verticalsectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicatedb y the .line.3'-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse verticalisectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated-by theline 44 of'Figure 2;

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views, takensubstantially along planes as indicated by the lines 5-5 and 66,respectively, of Figure 1, and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially along a plane asindicated by the line 7--7 of Figure 5.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a window servicing platformin its entirety is designated generally 10 and includes a frame,designated generally 11, having corresponding sides 12 and 13, a back 14and a front 15.

Each of the sides 12 and 13 includes a bottom member 16, a front post17, a rear post 18 and a top bar 19. The lower ends of the posts 17 and18 are secured to the ends of the bottom member 16 and the upper ends ofsaid posts 17 and 18 are secured to the top bar 19. Each side 12 and 13also includes a pair of cross braces 20 which are secured togetherintermediate of their ends and which are secured at the corners of theframe by fastenings 21.

The back of the frame 11 includes a top. rail 22 which is secured to theupper rear corners of the sides 12 and 13 and a pair ofcross braces 23which are secured to the rear corner post 18 by additional fastenings21, as seen in Figures 3 and 4.

The front 15 of the frame includes cross braces 24 which are securedtogether intermediate of their ends, and the ends of which are securedto the front uprights 17', by additional fastenings 21'. The frame front15 also includes a lower cross piece 25 which is preferably formed ofwood and WhiCh'iS secured at its ends to the. front posts 17.

The frame parts 16, 17, 18,19 and 22 are preferably formed of angleiron, as illustrated, and the bottom members .16 each includes aninwardly extending bottom flange 26. The frame 11' is provided with aflooring formed of a'plurality of planks 27 which extend between thebottom members 16' and which have their ends resting upon the inwardlyextending flanges 26 and secured thereto by fastenings 28.

As best seen in Figures 3. and' 5, the topbars 19 have extensions 29which project forwardly from the front posts 17. In addition, the frontposts 17 have forwardly turned extensions 30 at their upper ends whichinterfit with the extensions 29 to provide forwardly extending.

frame arms of inwardly. opening channel shaped constructionjas seen inFigure.7,' and which frame arms 29, 30' have two-ply reinforcedintermediate portions 31 formed by the overlapping vertical'fianges ofthe extensions 29 1 and 30. Elongated blocks or strips of w0o'd32are'secured'to the undersides' of the arms 29, 30 byfastenings 33. Eachbar: or block 32 has an inclined'underside 34, the inclination of whichis adapted to correspond with the conventional pitch of a window sill. Aplate 35 havinga toothed bottom surface is secured to'the underside 34ofeach block 32 by one of the fastenings 33.

A red 36 extends between the outer ends of the arms 29' and throughv thetwo-ply portions 31 thereof. Said rod 36 has threaded'ends 37'engaged bynuts 38, which are disposed'outwardly with respect to the arms 29, 30.Eyebolts 39 engage the rod36 between the nuts 38' and the outer'ends ofthe arms 29130. A second pair of eyebolts 40 are mounted on the rod 36between and adjacent the arms 29, 30;

has upstanding enlargements 43 at each end thereof and each of which isprovided with two transverse bores 44 to, slidably' receive the threadedshank of a bolt 39 and an adjacent bolt 40; Said shanks 41 each carry apair of nuts 45 which. straddle and bear against opposite sides of'theenlargements 43, for adjustably securingthe bolt shanks'tosaid'tubeportions 43. An'intermediate portion of a'rod' "46 isde'ta'chably'secured in .the tube 42 by a nut-andbolt fastening-47' which extendsthrough the tube and rod.

Metal strap members 48 are secured to and extend upwardly from the outersides of the rear corner posts 18. An outer or rear guard member,designated generally 49, includes a pair of posts 50 having lower endswhich are pivotally connected at 51 to the strap members 48, above thetop bars 19. The rear guard member 49 also includes guard rails 52 and53 which extend between and are secured at their ends to the posts 50and which are vertically spaced from one another, as best seen in Figure4.

Braces 54 have upper ends which are pivotally con- The bolts. 39 and40have threaded. shanks 41 "projecting from theeyes thereof. A tube 42 at58. A sleeve or collar 59 is slidably mounted on each brace 54 and isslidably movable into a position over the overlapping ends 57 of thebrace sections and the pivot 58 thereof to maintain the brace 54 in anextended position as seen in Figures 1 and 2. The sleeves or collars 59have a frictional engagement with the overlapping ends 57 so that saidsleeves must be forcibly moved out of engagement therewith to permitfolding of the braces and so that the guard member 49 can be swungdownwardly and forwardly to a folded position against the top of theframe 11.

Bolts 60 extend through the top bars 19 immediately above the frontcorner posts 17. Each bolt 61) carries two nuts 61, which nuts engagedopposite sides of the bar 19. The headed ends of the bolts 60 extendinwardly from the top bars 19. Chains 62 connect the bolts 60 to theeyes of the inner bolts 40, which are disposed adjacent thereto, as seenin Figures 1 and 3. The ends of a strong wire 63 are secured to eachbolt 60. Each wire 63 extends downwardly from the bolt 60 to which it issecured on the inner side of the adjacent front corner post 17, aroundthe outer or front side of the front frame member 25, along the underside of the flooring 27, and thence diagonally upwardly and forwardlyfrom the outer or back edge of the flooring 27 back to the bolt 60, asbest illustrated in Figure 3.

The front piece 25, near the ends thereof, has metal strips 64 wrappedtherearound, as best seen in Figure 3. Screws 65 extend forwardlythrough and are threadedly mounted in said strips 64 and the framemember 25. Cap members 66 are swivelly connected to the forward ends ofthe screws 65.

It will be readily apparent that if the guard member 49 is folded downagainst the top of the frame 11, that said frame can be readily passedoutwardly through the lower part of a window frame 67 when the bottomsash of the window, not shown, is in an open position. Before the frame11 is displaced outwardly through the window frame 67, the rod 46 issecured in the tube 42, as shown in Figure 1. The rod 46 is of a lengthsubstantially greater than the spacing between the sides 68 of thewindow frame 67, so that the end portions of the rod 46 will engage theinner edges of the sides 68 of the frame 67. The frame 11 can then beinserted outwardly through the window opening 67 without risk of theframe 11 being released to drop. The nuts 45 can then be adjusted on thebolt shanks 41 to position the frame 11 with the front corner posts 17spaced slightly from the outer edge of the window sill 69, so that theribbed undersides of the plates 35 will rest flush upon portions of theupper side of the window sill 69. The guard 50 is then swung upwardly toan upright position and the sleeves 59 are moved to positions overpivots 58 to maintain the braces 54 in extended positions. The operatoror workman can then safely climb through the window frame 67 into thewindow servicing platform 11 and while standing on the flooring 27 canadjust the screws 65 so that when the caps 66 are abutting the outerside of the wall 70, the corner posts 17 and 18 will be disposedsubstantially vertical. The frame 11 will provide a guard around thelower portion of the body of the workman while standing on the flooring27, and the guard 50 and braces 54 will provide a guard for the upperportion of the body of the workman. Thus, the workman may be supportedwith the maximum of safety within the platform structure 10 whileperforming various work on the outer side of a window, such as replacingglass, repairing or painting the Window, or washing the window.

The wires 63, bolts 60, chains 62 and bolts 40 provide a directconnection between the flooring 27 and the tube 42 and rod 46, so thatshould a break occur in any part of the frame 11, the flooring 27 wouldstill be effectively supported from the window frame 67 for safelysupporting the occupant of the platform.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resortedto, without departing from the function or scope of the invention ashereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A window servicing platform comprising a box-like frame having an opentop and including inner and outer corner posts and diagonal bracesextending between and connected to said corner posts, said frameincluding bottom members each extending between and connected to aninner and an outer corner post, a floor supported by said bottommembers, top bars each secured to an inner and an outer corner post,said top bars having extensions projecting inwardly from said innercorner posts, sill engaging members secured to the undersides of saidextensions and having inclined undersides adapted to rest flush on theupper surface of a window sill of a window frame into the outer side ofwhich said extensions project, a rod extending between and through saidextensions, a plurality of eyebolts mounted on said rod and havingthreaded shanks extending inwardly therefrom, and a window frameengaging member having an intermediate portion to which said threadedshanks are connected and end portions adapted to bear against the inneredges of the upright sides of the window frame for supporting saidwindow servicing platform frame and flooring on the outer side of thewindow frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS587,101 Lombard et a1 July 27, 1897 1,187,084 Oberti June 13, 19161,285,436 Smith Nov. 19, 1918 1,318,479 Carter Oct. 14, 1919 1,336,283Cook Apr. 6, 1920 1,454,155 Crozier May 8, 1923 1,928,124 Farley Sept.26, 1933 2,049,353 Cary July 28, 1936 2,730,411 Krane Jan. 10, 1956

